Continue reading ""'3 F's top French Presidency's economic agenda" »
Launched officially today, and I’ve yet to work out what it’s all for (bar an ego trip for Sarkozy and a jolly for various heads of state, that is).
Mark Mardell has the handiest overview I’ve found so far - and also doesn’t seem to know quite what to make of it. Wikipedia is, as ever, useful if taken with a pinch of salt - largely thanks to the overview of the controversies and squabbles that have marred its birth.
One thing that is fun, however, is to compare the map of this new international club with that of the Roman Empire at its height…
Continue reading ""The Union for the Mediterranean and a usual round up on EU affairs..." »
Leaders from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa watch France's Bastille Day military parade in Paris
on this day:
More than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed when their UN "safe haven" at Srebrenica, which was supposed to be protected by Dutch UN peacekeepers, was overrun by Bosnian Serb forces.In
Continue reading ""The CER guide to the French Presidency" »
More than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed when their UN "safe haven" at Srebrenica, which was supposed to be protected by Dutch UN peacekeepers, was overrun by Bosnian Serb forces.In
Continue reading ""The CER guide to the French Presidency" »
Oh boy, France is dealing with her citizens very well and now thinking of all Europeans. Among all citizenship models from European traditions, here comes one of the worst:)
What fuckery is this? It looks like the French government, having failed to impose an awful record-industry inspired snooping act at home, is trying to policy-launder it through the European Union. The so-called “3 strikes” law foresaw that ISPs would be required to cut off service to anyone who was found downloading or distributing copyrighted material three times - which of course implied that the ISPs would be expected to filter all traffic by content, a wildly grandiose, authoritarian, and insecure idea. (Wonderfully, Nicolas Sarkozy outsourced his Internet policy to a committee led by the owner of a chain of record shops; a little like putting the manufacturers of candles in charge of street lighting.)
Continue reading ""France to launch European citizenship project" »
Continue reading ""European Parliament Takes On Blogs (Symbolically)" »
Continue reading ""Big personality and big problems to mark French EU presidency..." »
Continue reading ""EU official: Russia 'advantaged' in negotiations over EU pact..." »
Jon Worth on the futility of being an EU-focussed blogger.
The only thing I’d say he’s missed is that the EU is also insanely boring, which makes getting up the motivation to write about it even more tricky than the minute readership and constant feeling that your few good ideas are being nicked by people who are then getting paid for it…
Continue reading ""Remind me, why do I blog about the EU?" »
Suddenly roused out of complacency, European governments don't want to appear helpless. They are looking for a "technical" solution -- which would result in a repeat of the Irish referendum.
Continue reading ""National parliaments seek to bridge EU democratic gap..." »
Continue reading ""How France intends to meet all those EU presidency expectations..." »
By Ruben Andersson
It’s been a terrible month for migrants. In South Africa, they have been hounded, lynched and necklaced in pogroms that have left more than 50 people dead. In Italy, vigilante attacks on Roma have accompanied the new government’s xenophobic rhetoric and promise to deport even fellow Europeans. In France, Sarkozy has flagged a hardline EU-wide ‘pact on migration’ – including provisions on ‘European values’ – for when his country assumes the Union presidency. And to top it off, the European Parliament is set to vote tomorrow on the ‘return directive’, an initiative deplored by Amnesty that will allow member states to detain migrants for up to 18 months before deportation.
Continue reading ""New directives, same old directions..." »
In the European debate, we always come back to the same topic: democracy. Now that the Irish have rejected the Lisbon Treaty, Europe’s chronic inability to create ‘true’ democracy is once again at the forefront of the debate.
Voters in Ireland reject the EU's Lisbon treaty in a referendum, delivering a severe blow to leaders' plans for reform....
I hope I’m premature writing this - final results in the Irish referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon have not yet been released but all the tallies so far point towards a No vote. That’s also the impression conveyed to me via people in Dublin. Irish Foreign Minister has also basically admitted defeat for the Yes side. So what has to happen?
The No side has - alarmingly - surged into the lead in the opinion polls prior to the referendum next week on the Treaty of Lisbon. From the article from the Irish Times about the poll, these are the crucial lines:
Continue reading ""Irish poised to give EU's Lisbon treaty a rough ride" »
Continue reading ""French Presidency seeks strong 'Small Business Act'" »
Under the motto "a more protective Europe", France takes over the rotating EU Presidency in the second half of 2008 with a keen eye on energy, climate change, defence and immigration policy.
On 31st May 2008, Social Europe Chief Editor Detlev Albers died after a short but severe illness. We are deeply saddened and shocked by his sudden death.
Continue reading "Med Union and Eastern Partnership are Rivals in the EU-Vision Contest..." »
The paintings made by Jose Maria Cano are receiving significant acclaim worldwide because of their groundbreaking characteristics. Photo: EFE / Sergei Chirikov. found in International Dealers Have $1.6 Billion of Art on Offer at the Moscow World Fine Art Fair
Continue reading ""Commission adopts code of conduct for EU lobbyists" »
Visiting Brussels to lobby for the election of his city as European Capital of Culture for 2013, Mayor of Marseille and Vice-President of the French senate Jean-Claude Gaudin praised the EU's initiative, which he says has an enormous and long-standing impact on the cities selected.
Continue reading ""EU praised for 'cultural capital' initiative" »
Continue reading ""'Congress of Europe' seeks fresh ideas for EU" »
Russia wins the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time with singer Dima Bilan - but the UK comes joint last.
Since its first broadcast on 24 May 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest has seen hundreds of songs battle it out for the titles of the worst, the funniest and above all the best
Continue reading ""EU: the most peaceful region in the world" »
Continue reading ""Parliament backs calls for EU anti-discrimination law" »
